


Half a Heart

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Malcolm Bright Gets a Hug, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24122707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: Summary:Being ten and terrified has kept Malcom from sleeping and his mother has asked for help.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 40
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Half a Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cozy_coffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cozy_coffee/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver owns it
> 
> **Notes:** written for cozy_coffee for the prompt of Any, any male, The Boy With The Half Heart and for the allbingo prompt of the secure dwelling place.

XXX

Malcolm knew he shouldn’t be listening in but he couldn’t help himself. His mother thought he was in his room reading. She didn’t know he’d heard her as she called officer Arroyo to come over. He could barely contain his excitement. He’d been _so_ afraid for so long that he couldn’t sleep. Everyone was being _so_ mean to him. His friends wouldn’t talk to him. Richard, Jameson and Adam had actually beat him up when he’d gone back to school. His right eye still ached, and he could barely see out of it. Mom said he didn’t have to go back to school this semester, that he’d do his work at home with a tutor.

That made him sad. Everything did. No one wanted him. Everyone acted like he was bad, except for Mom of course. And his father said he was a good boy, but seeing him in that cage had made him scared. Malcolm had insisted on seeing his father. Mom fought with Dr. Le Deux forever about it but Malcolm had to see him. He had to know if he was a monster like everyone said. Dad said no but everyone else said yes. Malcolm thought maybe his dad had lied. He remembered the girl in the box, even if Mom and Officer Arroyo thought he had dreamed her. Officer Arroyo was the only one outside of Mom who didn’t think he was a bad boy.

“How can I help, Mrs. Whitly?” he heard Officer Arroyo say after the maid led him to the living room.

“For one, you can call me Jessica,” she replied. It sounded like Mom had been crying. She cried all the time now, and Malcolm didn’t know how to help her. It was his fault she cried. He’d called the police. It had been the right thing to do. He knew that but why did it feel so wrong? “And he wanted to see you, Officer Arroyo.”

“If I’m calling you Jessica, you can call me Gil, and it’s not a problem to stop by to see Malcolm,” Officer Arroyo said, and Malcolm grinned. His spirits soared. Officer Arroyo was going to come here more. That’s all he’d wanted for days.

“I know it actually is asking a lot, Gil. I know you have to come out of your way to be here and I appreciate it. I want my son to feel safe and secure in his home, and he doesn’t. He is terrified all the time. He doesn’t understand why he’s been so ostracized.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t. What would you like me to do to help?”

“Just talk to him. Malcolm is wandering around here with half a heart because his father ripped it in two.”

His mom sounded so angry. Malcolm pressed a hand to his chest. Half a heart? That felt right. That’s what was wrong. His heart had broken. Why had his dad done the things he did? Didn’t he know it was wrong? His dad always told him they solved problems with their words, they talked it out. They didn’t hit. But his father hurt those people, hurt the girl in the box, would have killed Officer Arroyo. He took a deep breath in, his hands trembling. _Why Daddy?_ Malcolm shut his eyes tight, his swollen one hurting bad. He wanted to go back to before. He wanted his dad back reading him bedtime stories. He wanted the dad who took him to the zoo and to the museums. He wanted the dad who told him all about how amazing their bodies were and showed him pictures he’d drawn even better than the anatomy books. He wanted the dad who sat on the edge of his bed after a nightmare, who told him it was all a dream. Now all he saw in his head was the dad who put poison in tea, the one who kept a girl in a box. It’s why he couldn’t sleep.

Someone touched his arm and Malcolm jumped. Officer Arroyo squatted down to look him in the eye. “Hey, kiddo, are you okay?” He rubbed the back of Malcolm’s neck. He spotted Malcolm’s black eye and glanced up at Mom. Malcolm saw she was ready to cry again and again it was all his fault.

“I’m okay,” Malcolm said but he wasn’t. He was scared, and he was sad.

“Your mom said you’ve been a little scared to be alone.”

Malcolm nodded. “I know I’m too old to believe in monsters, Officer Arroyo, and Dad says monsters aren’t real but I think they are. And they’re in my room.”

“Call me Gil, Malcolm, and would you like me to check out your room for you?”

He shook his head. “They’re only there when it’s dark.” His lips wobbled and hot tears spilled from the corners of his eyes.

“I’ll be here tonight.” Officer Arroyo put his arms around Malcolm, and Malcolm glommed onto him hard. He wasn’t going to let go. The monsters would creep up from the basement if he let go.

Officer Arroyo stood, lifting Malcolm with him. Malcolm wrapped his legs around Gil’s waist, and his mom put her arms around him and Officer Arroyo, resting her cheek on Malcolm’s head.

“Baby, the only monster is gone. You’re safe here. Gil will be here tonight.”

“Can he stay always?” Malcolm sputtered.

“Sweetie, he doesn’t live here. He can’t but he can stay until you’re asleep tonight.”

“Can he make Dad give me back the other half of my heart?”

His mother sobbed. “Oh, baby, you shouldn’t have been listening in. You know better.”

Malcolm gripped Gil harder, burrowing his face against his shoulder, crying harder. “Sorry.”

“You know what I know about hearts?” Gil rubbed Malcolm’s back. “They heal with time. You’re hurting now but you won’t always feel this bad.”

“Will you help my heart heal?” Malcolm muttered.

“I will do everything I can to help,” Gil promised.

Malcolm held tight until he cried himself out. When he wiggled, Gil set him back down and rested a hand on his shoulder. He wiped the tears off Malcolm’s cheeks.

“Can you make sure there’s nothing in the basement? She comes up from there when I’m sleeping,” Malcolm asked.

“It’s just a dream baby.” His mother brushed his hair out of his eyes. “There’s no one in the basement.”

“How about we go down there, me and you? Then you can see there’s no one there. Your mom can come too,” Gil said.

“I’m going to seal up that room, now that there won’t be a trial,” his mom said. “If I do that, you’ll feel safer, baby. Once there’s no more door, you’ll know no one is hiding there, but let’s go down with Gil.”

Malcolm slipped his hand in Gil’s. “Let’s go see. Will you read to me tonight, Gil?”

“I’ll read anything you’d like.” Gil smiled at him, and Malcolm felt safer immediately.

“Even if it’s comic books that Mom doesn’t like me to read?” Malcolm smiled.

“Hey, I like comic books. If that’s what you want.”

“I want you to stay forever.”

Gil ruffled his hair. “I’ll be here, kid.”

And Malcolm believed him. He might not be able to keep the girl from the box from getting into Malcolm’s dreams but he made Malcolm feel safe. Gil made Mom feel safe too. Malcolm could tell. Gil would make things better and that made him happy.


End file.
